Refrigerator Door Damping Device for Shock Reduction and Easy Opening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Refrigerator doors with increased weight and added features become difficult to open and close, leading to excessive effort, noise, and potential food falling due to increased weight and added closing forces.
Innovation Solution
A refrigerator design incorporating a damping device with an oil damper and a contact surface that provides a damping force when the door is closed, allowing for constant speed closure and automatic closure at a set angle, while minimizing resistance when opening.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a damping device is provided to reduce shock and noise during door closure, then shock and noise are reduced, but resistance is generated when opening the door
Solution Approach 1:
The damping device is designed with a movable contact surface that dynamically changes its position relative to the damping element based on door rotation angle. During closing, the contact surface engages with the damping element to provide shock absorption. During opening, the contact surface moves away to minimize resistance, allowing the door to open easily while maintaining damping functionality during closure.
Solution Approach 2:
The contact surface is designed with specific geometric parameters (distance from hinge shaft, extension length, inclination angle) that change its engagement characteristics with the damping element. By optimizing these parameters, the device provides sufficient damping force during closure while minimizing resistance during opening, resolving the contradiction between shock reduction and ease of operation.
2Shape
If heavy materials such as glass or metal are used to enhance the outer appearance of the refrigerator door, then outer appearance is enhanced, but the weight of the door increases
Solution Approach 1:
The damping device acts as a counterweight mechanism that compensates for the increased door weight. By providing controlled damping force during closure, it offsets the effects of heavy door materials, allowing the use of aesthetically pleasing heavy materials like glass or metal without excessively increasing the effort required to open and close the door.
3Extent of automation
If a device is added to force the door to close, then automatic closing is achieved, but the closing force applied to the door is added, requiring more force when opening the door
Solution Approach 1:
The damping device provides dynamic force modulation based on door position and motion direction. During automatic closing, it provides controlled damping force to manage the closing speed and reduce impact. During opening, the contact surface disengages to minimize resistance, ensuring that the automatic closing function does not excessively increase the force required to open the door.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The damping device reduces shock and noise during door closure, ensures stable and convenient operation by maintaining constant speed despite varying door weights and user speeds, and facilitates easy opening by avoiding excessive resistance.
Implementation Method 1
a damping device which is provided on one side where the hinge is mounted and provides a damping force to the door when the door rotates in a closing direction
Implementation Method 2
The damping device may consist of an oil damper
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigerator includes a cabinet which has a storage space; a door which opens and closes the storage space; a hinge which connects the door and the cabinet and supports the door so that the door is capable of rotating; and a damping device which is provided on one side where the hinge is mounted and provides a damping force to the door when the door rotates in a closing direction, in which the damping device consists of an oil damper, and a contact surface is formed on one side corresponding to the damping device, with which the door starts to be in contact and thus to which a damping force is transmitted, at a set angle or less, and which is separated from the damping device when the door is opened.